Ooohh, you guys, am I tickled pink about today's vintage outfit post, as it is not only the very first (of several) that happened while on our recent holiday to Edmonton, but it's also the first of this autumn, and it stars one seriously charming vintage appropriate frock from Australia based online retailer Dressific.

I'm a huge fan of visiting new-to-me destinations, which Edmonton most certainly was, however one of the challenges of such can be finding locations to shoot in when you don't know much about the town/city and its layout. Add in the often very damp, cold and windy weather that accompanied us throughout our travels this time around and things got even more tricky for us on that front.

Fortunately though, in this day and age, between smart phones and GPS systems, shoot locations can be found on the fly, and the fenced field (attached to a park) that we took these photos in before it started to pour again late one windy afternoon (so hence the squinting) was just such a spot.

Earlier in the day we'd been doing a lot of exploring around town, though mostly to shops and downtown areas, few of which would have worked well, IMO, to highlight a retro style dress like this gorgeous offering from Dressificin.

I've had the pleasure of working with Dressific as a sidebar sponsor at various points over the years, but this is the first garment that I've received from them and I sincerely want to thank the fine folks at this thriving online retailer for the thoughtful review gift.

Dressific was launched by fellow vintage fashion adoring gal (and oldest of nine siblings!) Elena Sheen, who had a strong desire to combine what she saw as the best of both vintage and modern fashion, and to then deliver such in an affordable and highly accessible manner.

While Dressific's offerings are available "off the rack" in a wide range of sizes, awesomely - much like companies such as eShakti, Bow & Drape, and Black Lapel - they also provide a custom fit service, for no additional charge, on some of their special occasion dresses.

As so many of us fall between sizes or have specific areas that can be tricky to dress in the most flattering way possible, I know that I won't be alone in appreciating and applauding Dressific for offering this option to their customers.

Dressific is based out of Australia, with fulfillment centers both there and in China. Their listings are frequently updated, reasonably priced (if you signup for their email newsletter, you can ever receive a coupon code that will save you 10% off on your first order, thus making their prices even more inviting), fun and charming - plus, they have a 100% no knockoff garment guarantee, which is incredibly positive and inspiring to see these days.

I feel that Elena nailed things squarely on the head in terms of marrying old and new sartorial elements, as many of Dressific's products do indeed have the sort of yesteryear styling that instantly appeals to scores of vintage and repro wearers the world over.

I knew that my Dressific review item would be arriving around the start of the fall, so I opted to select a garment with a cut and colour palette that suited this time of the year really nicely: the Elegant Me Floral Retro Dress, which currently retails for $74.50 AUD.

It should be noted that this dress comes with a cute black faux leather and gold tone metal bow skinny belt, however I didn't feel like such was quite what I wanted for the over all scope of the outfit I created around the dress that day, so I went with a different (wider) belt of my own instead.

This dress is made from a medium weight stretch cotton that has a little bit of sheen to it. Elbow - 3/4 length sleeves (depending on the length and size of your arms), a side zipper, a becoming collar neckline, cute wooden buttons, poufy shoulders, and an eye-catchingly terrific floral pattern in tawny brown, white and black (or is it navy blue – honestly, it looks like both in different lights) add up to one seriously lovely garment.

Though I found this dress to be a little restrictive in the shoulder and underarm area (a true rarity for me, as I have tiny shoulders and usually garments have way too much excess material in that area for me), that is the only teeny point regarding that fit that arose for me.

I would note that I'm wearing a size medium here, which fits like a small (or even, these days, sometimes, an XS) in many other brands, so if you're between sizes or want a roomier garment, please keep in mind that this dress' sizing may run a little small and that you might want to size up.

Dressific provides easy to read size charts for all of their products though, so hopefully by referring to the chart for a given item, you can find the best fit for your body based on the measurements listed (personally I never give a toss about the number on a label, favouring an accurate fit a billion times over!).

I really like this dress. Its sleeve length makes it a great piece for the brief summer-into-fall weeks, whereas the fitted fabric enables you to easily layer this piece as the temperature plummets further. The fairly full skirt, inclusion of pockets, and arrestingly elegant floral print in a great autumnal colour palette all appeal to me immensely and ensure that this is a dress I'll wear many more times this year and beyond.

So while this shoot might not show you too much of Edmonton, others that follow will, and the park field here - with its lush green grass - provided a really nice neutral background against which to photograph this stylish, autumn perfect Dressific frock in. Thus making it a background location win in my books.

*PS* I should mention that I'm not blogging the shoots that we did in Edmonton in 100% sequential order and that they'll also be interspersed here and there with other newer shoots, particularly those starting festive fall/Thanksgiving/Halloween related outfits. They will, however, all be blogged and I can hardly wait to keep sharing more about our travels with all of you.

What an encouraging, terrific compliment, Ally. Thank you very much. I've certainly sensed the way in which I've been dressing changing a touch as I get older - more sophisticated styles, for example, coming to reply some of the ultra twee/girly-girl looks, for example, and suspect that such is partially responsible for the "improvements" that you've mentioned. Style is a constantly evolving thing (or should be at least) though, so even when I look back and cringe over some outfits (thankfully, not too many :)), I'm still very grateful that they helped me get to where my look is these days and will continue to be down the road.

I can't wait to see more from Edmonton! Meanwhile, I will keep drooling over this dress! The copper tone is certainly one of your colors. It looks fantastic on you and I adore a dress with pretty sleeves!!

Thank you super sweetly, dear Sara. I'm in love with the colours of this dress - they've had me hunting for more rust hued vintage and repro garments ever since this shoot last week. I definitely plan to add more colours in this autumnal hue to my closet as time goes on (I have a small number already, but definitely feel like I need more).

Ooo!! What a smashing frock! Very Autumnal indeed. It's a great colour and print and really stands out as individually designed. You look very happy and well here, that's what vacations do! I have given in to Autumn and am sporting a pinky tweed jacket today. Grim weather, grey and wet! Hoping you have sunnier skies X

That's awesomely nice of you to say, sweet Porcelina. Thank you so much! Three cheers on embracing autumn's return. I'm in my element to the nth degree right now and wish that fall would last for so many more months than it does. Thankfully we do get a few weeks of it and I'll be sharing many more seasonally inspired outfits before we part ways with it again.

That is so wonderfully kind of you to say, dear Silver Cat, thank you very much. Save for the slight issue with the shoulders being tight, I adore these sleeves as well. No matter how old I get, I think I'll always adore the look of poufy sleeves (I mention age because they were all the rage when I was a youngster in the 80s and early 90s, and I totally loved them back then, too).

Ooohh, that would be such a chic touch. Lovely suggestion, Lorena dear. Thank you! (I feel like such would up the subtle Victorian nature of the poufy sleeeves here, so naturally that makes me adore it all the more. :))

Thank you very much, honey. This bracelet is one of my favourite - and most frequently worn - pieces of jewelry. It's appeared here numerous times before and will most likely continue to do so for a long time to come. Delightfully, I also have the same bracelet in yellow. Both were thrifted at different times and I always keep my eyes open to see if I can spot a third (or fourth, etc) version in another colour, too. Hopefully! :)

Thank you very much, my lovely friend. This field might be a bit nondescript, but in general, we found Edmonton to be teaming with photo shoot locations (especially once we started to get a bit of a feel for the layout of the city) and there are plenty that we didn't have enough days there to shoot in, that I'd like to do so with on future trips to this delightful corner of the country.

I loved this Retro Floral Dressific dress, dear Jessica! And yes, having photos taken in new places may be a bot difficult. Right now, that I am exploring new places too, I go with a plan/place target beforehand. I think Edmonton must be full of gorgeous places! I am amazed for Elena, 9 siblings! It's nice to have siblings. I think you did it well replacing the belt, the one you are wearing is really cool to the dress. I loved the black roses bracelet, too! I would like to buy this dress, but as you said you have tiny shoulders and found it a bit restrictive, imagine me with broad shoulders :) But I would like to try it anyway! Hope you have a very nice day, dear Jessica, hugs and kisses and you look so gorgeous!DenisesPlanet.com

Thank you very much, dear Denise. Having grown up with "just" two siblings and a fairly small family in general, that would certainly be quite the experience. I love the idea of having so many relatives and people who (hopefully!) are there for you though, so it's not a concept I'm adverse to (though, of course, that ship has long sailed for my parents!).

That's super nice of you to say, dear gal. Thank you so much! I adore orange, too, especially fall shades in this cheerful colour - and (a point that you two share in common) it's Tony's all-time favourite colour as well, so I like to make a point of including it in some of my outfits for him to see and enjoy.

This colour scheme is really a good one for you! And the dress really seems to fit your style very nicely too. The pictures turned out wonderfully too, despite the terrible weather (we do seem to be having a lot of that lately don't we?) Can't wait to see more of your Edmonton pictures :)The Artyologist

Thank you very much, honey. I agree - even though it's not a straight up repro dress, it does have ample old school leanings and was a breeze to style in a vintage inspired way.

I'm so looking forward to posting more snaps from our time in Edmonton. Watch for plenty of them here in October and November (and perhaps even a little later still than that, just depending on how my blogging schedule unfolds this fall).

Many thanks again & have a fabulous first weekend of October!♥ Jessica

That's such a splendidly nice compliment, sweet Ann. Thank you so much! I'm smitten with the colour and print of this stylish Dressific frock as well. They've really created something memorable here with it.

This is a really unusual dress, but especially for off-the-rack! I think it's the colour - you just don't see many dresses this colour these days. It looks wonderful on you - a perfect start-of-Autumn-outfits kick off :) xx

Great point! This is not a colour that - by and large - you see generous amounts of in the fashion world these days, especially, (though a touch ironically, perhaps) I'd argue the vintage one. It's a shame, too, you know, as I think this shade of dark rusty orange-brown can be very becoming on many people, especially those who generally look good in autumn's palette.

Thank you for your great comment. I hope that you guys have a sunny, fun filled first weekend of October!

Dear Jessica, What a lovely outfit...you look so pretty!! I agree the wider belt was the better choice. I wish I could see the back or side view of your hat...it sounds fab by the description...black felt, cream and pearls.

Hi sweet Dee, thank you very much for your lovely compliments on this fun autumnal look and for seconding my decision to opt for a wider belt here.

Regarding the hat, ask and ye shall receive :). You can see different views (from this post, I mean) of it in an earlier outfit post of mine from this past spring (interestingly, also a travel outfit one): http://www.chronicallyvintage.com/2016/05/highlights-from-our-first-getaway-of.html

Many thanks again. Wishing you a gorgeous transition from September to October and sending oodles of hugs your way!

Thanks for the link, Jessica :) Oh, I see it is black felt with black felt leaves with cream pearls. Such a classy hat to wear with many outfits! That lovely spring outfit reminds me that I am lacking yellow gloves.

You're very welcome, my dear. Generally speaking, when I debut an item (especially something like a hat, which I know folks often enjoy seeing from different angles), we'll try to take photos of it from various views, so if if I sport something else here in the future and you'd like to see more of it, please don't hesitate to ask - I may very well have an earlier post that highlights it in greater degree. :)

I hope that you're able to track down a good pair of vintage yellow gloves. I find, be they pale, medium or dark yellow, gloves the colour of sunshine are surprisingly versatile. I wear mine (especially these mustard yellow lovelies) quite often throughout the whole year.

That is a compliment of no small magnitude to me, dear Karen. Thank you so very much! I really and truly do live for fall and all of its gorgeous colours, so it means all the more to me that you think I "do" the season well. I beamed up a storm after reading you say as much.

Another stunning dress. The colours are perfect for this time of year and the dress looks nice and warm. It's so difficult deciding what to wear at the moment, it's mild one minute then blowing a gale the next, still, talking about the weather is the British passtime. Hope you are enjoying the run up to Halloween xx

The same is definitely true here in Canada. We like to say, only partially joking, that there are just three seasons in this country: summer, winter and hockey, and you know, that isn't too far from the truth, so whether it's blazing hot or staggeringly cold, it's a given that plenty of people will be happily gabbing about what Mother Nature is up to. :)

Thank you very much for your wonderfully nice compliments. I'm definitely thrilled that Halloween is just around the corner (literally a month away) and can't wait to post a slew of seasonal/festive posts here throughout October.

Many thanks again & have a marvelous (hopefully sunny!) weekend,♥ Jessica

Not many words came to my mind when I was this outfit. Just these:QUINTESSENTIALLY AUTUMN! :)You have graciously shown us what changes this season makes to every single part of our lives. Weather is getting chilly, but the summer's mood is still strong, and the fine thing about autumn is that we're still wrapping ourselves in colors! come winter, many folks chose the back & gray - dull as they may be, people like them because they are "safe" (for the life of me, I don't know what is "safe" about gray, the color of our shadows?!)Autumn, however, pleases us with sun's rays that still have got some strength. Once I feel them on a brisk morning - I know that it calls out for gold, bronze, dark red and (essentially) orange shades. But, hey: I'm the one to go for purple at this time as well. :)

That is an excellent point, dear Marija. Grey is the colour of wild storms, imposing clouds, dusk as it is snatched up by night, large expanses of concrete and so much more that can be bold, intriguing and beautiful. I've never felt that grey was dull either and love that colour a good deal. Of all the seasons, I tend to wear it most often during the winter, frequently pairing it with black, red, white and/or royal blue (grey + royal blue + light blue + black is stunning together!).

I second your call for sunlight with a bit of heft behind it and really hope that we both get treated to some as fall continues. No matter what Mother Nature gets up to, I will be rocking her current seasonal palette straight on 'til (at least) December. :)

Thank you very much for your wonderfully nice comment + compliments + always be the insightful-ly fantastic person that you are.

Thank you so very much, darling Beate. That is such an encouraging, wonderfully nice response to this fun autumn look. I sense that this rich, timeless shade of rusty brown would look awesome on you as well.

Wonderful description ("spicy") of this colour and print, dear Vix. Love that and totally agree that it does have just such a note (it reminds me of everything from nutmeg to super dark Hungarian paprika to cinnamon).

How funny that I'm learning about an Australian shop on your Canadian blog! I'll definitely have to check them out if they're based in Australia as one of the biggest things that puts me off shopping from certain stores online is the shipping cost, or when they don't ship internationally at all. I'm glad to hear you like the dress so much because it looks beautiful on you! :) x

How funny that I'm learning about a clothing website that's based in Australian from your Canadian blog! I feel like I should have already known about it, haha. I'll definitely have to check it out though, one of the biggest things that stops me buying things online is when the website has really expensive international shipping, or when they don't do it at all so at least I know I won't have that problem here. Also that dress looks lovely on you, but that's no surprise! Hope you've been well :) x

That's so cool! I'm delighted that I could introduce you this delightful Aussie company. I have been genuinely impressed (and thrilled!) by the large number of repro/pinup/retro fashion brands and online shops that have sprung up in the past few years. So much so, that I've been giving thought lately to penning a post next year in which I highlight quite a number of them, for vintage fashion fans in Australia and the world over to enjoy (if you have personal faves on that front, please feel free to share them with me anytime).

Gosh, do I hear you about the shipping! One practically has to take out a second mortgage a lot of the time when having items sent to Canada as well. And - much as in your country, too - with our dollar having been in a very sad state for well over two years now, that makes shipping costs even more of a steep investment. It's such a shame that international shipping so often costs an arm and a leg (and another leg!).

Thank you sweetly, honey. I really appreciate your comment and hope that you have a stellar first weekend of October.

I love these colors together, and especially adore that rusty orange/brown shade! I also really like that handbag! What a great size for everyday (I carry around a lot of stuff, mostly ALL the red lipsticks) that would fit a DSLR quite well :)

It does! It's a touch narrow, so a camera bulges in it, but a body and a small lens can fit in there and I've used it as a camera bag before myself (great minds!).

Thank you very much, my darling friend. I'm wild about this shade and soooo want more repro/pinup/retro fashion brands to embrace it (could you imagine a pair of high waisted 40s style trousers in this shade - *I die!* :D).

That is such a fabulously lovely compliment, my dear friend. Thank you so much! I'm really looking forward to sharing more fall related (Halloween themed included) outfits here throughout this month and straight on into November. I absolute have to get my fill of such while the season is out in full force! :)

Thank you sweetly, honey. I really am! Even with a million and one things on my mind this year, thankfully I'm having no trouble getting totally into the grove with autumn and am enjoying this season immensely (blogging about it very much included :)). I really hope that you are as well and that there's still at least a whisper of warmth on your end during these early days of October.

What an awesomely nice compliment, sweet Elizabeth. Thank you so much! It was definitely a great hit of autumnal colour to kick the official start of this season off on - as well as a special memory for our time in Edmonton.

Thank you again & have a weekend that is every bit as lovely as you are,♥ Jessica

What a lovely autumn dress, that becomes you so very well. It looks like real vintage, very well made. Unfortunately for me, they are based in AU, since Danish customs are completely mad. DH has just given me two repro dresses from Miss Candyfloss, which I didn't even know about, but he saw an ad in one of my magazines and said they looked nice, and - they are based in Sweden. :) Have a lovely weekend, dear. :)

Thank you so much, my very dear friend. It does have a strong vintage look, I agree (which is helped in no small part by the shape of the sleeves) and really enjoyed styling this dress in a mid-century direction.

I hear you loud and clear regarding being hit with sky high import/customs charges. We encounter that here in Canada, too, and it adds so much to the cost of goods brought into the country (especially given that our poor Canadian dollar has been in rough shape for 2.5+ years at this point and so it usually costs us a lot with the exchange rate, before shipping and import/customs have even been factored in). I'm really sorry that you run into that as well. I understand where governments are coming from with such charges, but I think that they need to set the threshold before a person gets hit with these charges soooooo much higher than (those of many nations) do.

How exciting that your DH surprised you with not one, but two new Miss Candyfloss dresses. I've swooned over their offerings online for a while now. Congratulations on your new frocks! It's endlessly sweet that your husband bestows gives on you out of the blue like that. He's such a dear!

Wow, the print and tones of your dress are seriously eye-catching in the best way lovely lady! I adore the burnt umber tone on you, it's different, but definitely stunning. And pockets! How can you ever go wrong with pockets?! :D ❤

You just can't beat pockets on a dress, I totally agree. They're one of the big draws of 1980s does 1940s/50s dresses for me. Of course, not all such frocks have pockets, but plenty do and they're usually more sturdy still than their mid-century counterparts. Of course sturdiness isn't an issue with this beautiful Dressific garment, which is very well made and feels as though it will last for quite a long time, too.

I'm Jessica, a lifelong lover of all things antique and vintage, especially those from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

This blog is my visual scrapbook in which I record and share my thoughts on the multitude of sources, people and products that inspire and feed a modern gal's addiction to the past. I also post about the vintage clothes, hairstyles and make-up looks that I adore wearing.

Stay a spell and have a blast as we explore the incomparably fantastic world of vintage history and fashion together.

All images used on this site are credited to their original posters/creators/sources,
however if at any time you would prefer not to see one of your images here, please email me and I'll take it down right away.

PS...I just wanted to say thank you very much for visiting and to tell you that you're equal parts awesome and beautiful.